Inspiring Success - Time management is key for mother who also juggles work and schooling

By Sam Laskaris Cando Contributor

Rosemarie Hill is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Business Administration degree at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

Rosemarie Hill has become an expert in time management.

For starters, the 39-year-old member of Cook’s Ferry Indian Band in British Columbia is a single mother of four. Her oldest child is 13 while her youngest is just one.

Hill is also working part-time as a receptionist in Merritt, B.C. for the Nicola Tribal Association, which represents seven First Nations, including her own.

Plus she’s also a full-time student now at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. The Merritt-based school is British Columbia’s Aboriginal post-secondary institute.

“I cannot waste any time,” Hill said of how she has been able to successfully juggle her family life with her work and schooling. “I use in-between time of classes for studying. And my office has been extremely accommodating if I need to do an assignment. I can do it there.”

On top of her full academic workload, Hill is also working an average of about 3.5 hours per days for the tribal association.

Having already completed her Office Administration Certificate and Executive Assistant Diploma through her school, Hill is now pursuing her Bachelor of Business Administration.

Some of her expenses this year are being covered by a scholarship she was awarded through Cando, the national organization that promotes Indigenous economic development.

Hill is one of the three recipients this year of a scholarship offered through Cando’s National Indigenous Economic Education Fund (NIEFF).

Each scholarship winner received $2,000 towards their education this academic year.

Hill lives in Spences Bridge, B.C. and has a 45-minute one-way commute to Merritt for work and school. She’s hoping her dedication is rewarded down the line with a job close to home.

“I would love to help my community,” she said. “I want to work somewhere for my First Nation. They’re struggling with stuff. And we’re looking to have some capacity building in our community.”

The Cook’s Ferry Indian Band currently has about 300 members. But roughly 85 per cent of those individuals do not live on the First Nation.

Hill has already helped out her First Nation. She was asked to be part of its comprehensive community planning committee. This group came up with goals for the next 5-10 years.

The First Nation’s chief and council will utilize these goals as a guide for planning and allocating funds for upcoming ventures.

Hill explained her desire to return to school now, in her late 30s.

“I just put things off for so long,” she said.

Hill had previously received her natural resource technician certification from Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

And she had also earned her horticulture technician certification from the College of the Rockies. This community college has various campuses throughout British Columbia. Hill attended the campus located in the town of Creston.